


Why Can’t This Be Love?

by partyclowns



Category: Wayne's World (1992)
Genre: Awkward Dancing, Cheesy, F/M, First Date, First Time, Lots of Music, Pre-Canon, Queen (Band) References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:41:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29313498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/partyclowns/pseuds/partyclowns
Relationships: Wayne Campbell/Female Reader
Kudos: 1





	Why Can’t This Be Love?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snagglepuss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snagglepuss/gifts).



Life in Aurora, Illinois felt incredibly mundane. It left most of its younger population longing for more, especially as the rock scene came to be. The only people that wanted to stay were the ones who had nothing better to do and were okay with the monotony of a suburban lifestyle. And that, Wayne Campbell was not.

Him and his best buddy Garth wanted to do more—to be more than just some losers living out of their moms’ basements, and that’s why they started  _ Wayne’s World.  _ It gave them a taste of the freedom they longed for, and every episode that aired brought them closer to making it a reality. It didn’t matter if hardly anyone outside of Aurora saw them, it was more of an illusion, Wayne explained to those who asked why they did it. Garth would nod supportingly because he didn’t have a better explanation, and he didn’t want to get start any conflict.

Y/N longed for her own freedom. 

She had graduated high school in Aurora, and now only came to spend her summers and holiday breaks, but that didn’t mean she didn’t still feel trapped. She longed for her college graduation because that would give her true freedom, but it was still a year away and driving her nuts. Making it worse, she worked at the donut shop Wayne and Garth spent their free time at and had to clean up any messes their drunk friend left. 

It wasn’t like she  _ hated  _ them, because she didn’t. On her nights off she found herself watching the show with her friends, laughing until her ribs hurt at the stupid jokes they made. She had always found Wayne charming, and cute in a dorky way. She remembered him from school, how he was the class clown, but her friend group took things far too seriously and she needed to focus on getting out of there. She feigned annoyance whenever he even looked in her direction, though a tinge of guilt took over her at night as she tried to sleep. 

On a particularly quiet Saturday night they entered the shop while Y/N was sweeping and she sighed, then went to the counter to help them out. This was the first time she spoke to them other than to mutter something under her breath in annoyance, and Wayne was not going to miss out on the opportunity. “Can I have a Boston  _ cream  _ donut?” he chuckled, then the rest of the pack followed.

“Seriously?” she let slip, then put on gloves and put the donut in a bag to give it to him. She then took the rest of their orders until Wayne was at the front of the line again. 

“My friend, Garth, has made it clear to me that you did not appreciate my joke and I wanted to give you my sincerest of apologies.”

“Don’t worry about it. Your total is $8.75.” she held out her phone, and watched as he dug into his pockets. A piece of gum fell onto the counter, so did a few pennies, until he finally found a crumpled up ten dollar bill. She took it and rang it up as fast as she could, then offered him his change.

“Keep it. Consider it a tip for your troubles.” he gave her a goofy grin, then went with his friends to the table. 

“Thank you!” she called out to him, and for the first time she smiled at him. His cheeks turned pink as he smiled back, then he forced himself to join the conversation at the table.

And she couldn’t get Wayne off of her mind. Long after she’d gone home and hung up her apron, she held the dollar bill and the quarter in her hand and smiled down at it, until the familiar tinge of guilt paralyzed her. She was always so cruel to him, she didn’t deserve the tip. She put it in her work pants and decided she’d give it back the next time she saw him.

The idea didn’t come to her until the next night she worked. She just happened to catch a glimpse at a marker as she reached into the pocket to make sure the money was there. She grabbed the marker, scribbled out her number, and folded it so that the number was hidden. The anxiety set in as soon as she saw the Wayne’s World hat approaching the door, and she rushed to the register so that she would be the one to take the order.

“Hi, guys.” she gave a gentle smile, one that made Wayne freeze up.  _ Why was she being so nice now? Was it the tip? If that’s all that it took I would’ve given her a lousy dollar years before,  _ he thought to himself before beginning their order. The total came out the same, and this time she insisted on giving him his change. She dug it out of her pocket and handed it over. “I didn’t deserve the money.”

Garth guided the test of the crew over to their table, though he made sure he could hear what Wayne was saying just to make sure he didn’t need to step in. He could tell this a personal conversation, and he knew this was a step in the right direction. He was  _ sick  _ of hearing Wayne go on and on about her. It was getting grody.

“I think you do, Y/N. I mean, me and the guys aren’t always the tidiest.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean you owe me money. I haven’t always been the nicest to you… or them.”

“ _ Sha _ —yeah.” Wayne couldn’t help himself. “But if I were one of those nerdy kids like you I would’ve been the same way towards me.”

“No, you wouldn’t, because you’re nice, Wayne.” the girl sighed. 

“You’re nice, too. I don’t think you realize it, but you always looked at me with kind eyes and I could tell when you wanted to laugh. I’m not stupid, y’know.”

“Look at the bill.” she couldn’t take it anymore. He unfolded it and grinned wide. “I’m off tomorrow night… call me then.”

“If you insist.” he shoved the bill into his pocket and turned towards the table, striding confidently. He turned to make sure she had gotten a glimpse and she let out a giggle and waved at them all before going to find a mess to clean up.

***

Wayne rarely got nervous when it came to talking to girls. If he did, Garth would have to find someone else to look up to, and Wayne couldn’t have that. He liked being the one that got the girls, and he wanted his best friend to know that underdogs did just as well as those stupid jocks did. It wasn’t just a movie thing.

“Are you gonna call her?” Garth pushed up his glasses with his forefinger and chuckled.

“Uh,  _ duh _ .” Wayne nodded, grabbing the phone that he kept on the table during the show. They'd just finished up, so there wasn’t any reason he couldn’t take it somewhere else.

Y/N let it ring two, three times as to not appear desperate, or like she had been waiting by the phone (even though she definitely was). She answered with a strong, “Hello?”

“Hiya, it’s Wayne.”

“Oh, Wayne! Hi. How are you? I watched the show tonight.”

“I’m good, good. And did you like it?”

“I always do.”

“You watch it?” 

“Whenever I can!”

“Excellent.” Wayne chuckled, a smirk forming on his face. He couldn’t help be proud that the girl he had had his eye on for years liked his show—his and Garth’s show. “Do you wanna go out tonight? With me, Garth, the crew…to a nightclub?”

“That sounds like fun.”

“Cool! We’ll pick you up in the Mirthmobile. I hope you don’t mind squeezing in.” and for the first time his nervousness set in. 

“It’ll be a blast, Wayne. I don’t mind at all.”

She didn’t get dolled up, though she did put blush and some lip gloss on so that Wayne would still take the hint. She squeezed into the backseat, in between Neil and Terry, and Wayne turned to talk to her, his cheeks turning red when he got a glimpse.  _ Is that for me? _ he wondered to himself. “Are you ready to have the night of your life?”

“Always.” she nodded and he nodded proudly, then turned around and pressed the button on the radio to turn on a tape. The whole way to the club they all, including Y/N, screamed along to one of the few tapes Garth kept in the car:  _ Queen II  _

The club was packed full, live music blasting and people dancing. Wayne let the others walk ahead and stayed with Y/N to make sure she didn’t get overwhelmed. She admitted to him in the car that she’d never been to a nightclub before, and like the gentleman Wayne is, he promised to guide her. “Do you want something to drink?” He took her to the bar.

“Just water, please.” and he asked the bartender for two glasses. “How often do you guys come here?”

“Once a week, usually. Just for the music.”

“Just for the music?” She eyed a group of women dancing provocatively and he turned bright red. 

“The women are beautiful, yes, but the music...the music, Y/N!” he waved his arms around dramatically and she couldn’t help but giggle.

After a few minutes of mindless chatter, the band starts playing a cover of “Why Can’t This Be Love” by Van Halen. “Wanna dance?” Wayne managed to ask a few seconds in. She nodded and took his hand, following him to the dance floor. They had to squeeze past a couple of scary guys, and wound up next to a couple showing way too much PDA. 

It started off awkwardly, with chuckles as they moved their hips and their feet, just trying to get a feel for what each other could do. Wayne did whatever he could to ease the pain by doing a couple silly moves, earning loud giggles and a couple snorts from Y/N who in turn covered her face and began to laugh even harder. After that, it was set, and they spent the rest of the night on the dance floor together. They only took bathroom and water breaks, rarely parting.

Garth had to drag them out, leaving the rest of the crew on their own, something about his mom not wanting him out too late and Wayne had to agree. His parents wouldn't appreciate him coming in at two in the morning. He was embarrassed about that until he heard Y/N also agree. She was a college kid, she understood. She always did.

Wayne walked her to the door to make sure she got in safe, though he also hoped he would get a goodnight kiss. Y/N was delighted to hear him ask to walk her to the door because she was going to ask anyway and that was the only possible way she felt they could get in a kiss. Garth wouldn’t be inches away, and it wouldn’t be as uncomfortable. “I had fun tonight.”

“Me too. We should do it again sometime.”

“Next weekend?” she asked, and he nodded. “Thank you, Wayne. I hope my awful dancing made it up to you.”

“Oh, it did. Just being with you tonight made it all better. I mean, except one thing’s missing.” she held back a squeal because she knew exactly where this was going.  _ He’s going to kiss me! _

“What?” she looked at his lips, hoping he would take it as permission.

“This.” he placed a hand on her cheek and leaned in to press his lips onto hers. She filled in the rest of the space and melted under his touch. It lasted a few moments, with the two of them grinning stupidly at each other afterwards. “Can we do  _ that _ again sometime?”

“Whenever you want, Wayne.” she nodded quickly.

“Excellent!” he shouted, then immediately slapped his hands over his mouth. “I should get going, it’s late.”

“Goodnight, Campbell.”

“Goodnight, Y/N.” he waved and ran back to the Mirthmobile.

As she unlocked the door she heard a loud  _ schwing! _ come from the car and shook her head, giggling, as she entered the house. 

It wasn’t the first time she’d heard them say that, and she knew it wouldn’t be the last, but for the first time she was sure it was about her. Excitement filled her as she knew she would be making Wayne Campbell her boyfriend.


End file.
